Main Street

Gladewater was designated an official Texas Main Street City and began the program in 1999. This statewide program is a division of the Texas Historical Commission, www.thc.state.tx.us which promotes downtown revitalization within the context of historic preservation.
Gladewater has been recognized as a National Main Street City by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The downtown area will experience a dynamic improvement with an 80/20 grant from TXDOT, totaling over $2.3 million dollars from TXDOT’s grant and over $580,000 from local funds. This is a long-term revitalization effort requiring careful attention to every aspect of downtown. This incremental project is to revitalize older business districts bases on their unique assets. In doing this, the Gladewater Main Street Board has adopted the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Street Four-Point Approach™ (www.mainstreet.org.) The Gladewater Main Street Board has formed a committee within the Board for the following four approaches:

Organization: This committee is working toward community involvement, budget and funding, Downtown/Neighborhood issues and legislative issues.

Promotion: This committee is the marketing team that sells positive images of the commercial district and encourages consumers and investors to live, work, shop, play and invest in the Main Street district.

Design: This committee helps to form an inviting atmosphere created through many areas including but not limited to building improvements, street furniture, signs and landscaping.

Economic Restructuring: This committee helps to sharpen the competitiveness of existing business owners and helps to convert unused or underused commercial space into economically productive property, recruitment, retail merchandising and window display.

Every year the Main Street Board hosts a Christmas Lighting Contest. This event is open to all businesses within the city limits of Gladewater. The judging is done by out of town volunteers.

1st Prize: $300.00

2nd Prize $200.00

3rd Prize: $100.00

MAIN STREET GRANTS

There are matching grants up to $250.00 per item available to each merchant for their store front improvements and signage. Only businesses located in the “Antique District” are eligible for grants. The grants are reimbursable with a paid in full receipt from the vendor providing the service. If you are not sure if you are within the “Antique District”, call the Main Street Manger for validation. The following improvements are eligible for the grant:

Main Street Information

MISSION STATEMENT

The goal of the Gladewater Main Street project is to recreate the downtown area into the center of commerce, social interaction and tourism through physical revitalization of the properties and by refocusing of the local citizenship’s commitment and pride in the City.

The goal of the Gladewater Main Street Project is to recapture the beauty and vitality of downtown as the hub of commerce, tourism and socialization while retaining the historic significance of the area.